The present invention relates to a hand held and operated set of fastener clip pliers, fastening clips and their method of use. More specifically, the present invention relates to a hand held and operated set of fastener clip pliers and fastening clips useful to secure together reinforcement steel members, for example, those used in concrete construction.
In order to enhance the strength of concrete used for pipe, drainage structures, building structures, bridge beams, concrete highways and so forth, the concrete is typically reinforced with a latticework of rebar or wire mesh steel in single or multiple layers. The rebar or wire is typically laid out in a grid-like pattern or framework in a concrete form and secured together loosely using wire ties. The ties hold the reinforcement steel in place while the concrete is being poured around it. After the concrete sets, the reinforcement steel members become permanently positioned within the concrete.
Most reinforcement steel members used in commercial concrete construction have been tied together in the same way for many years. The wire ties, typically comprising very light gage, mild steel wire supplied on a belt-mounted reel, are pulled off the belt-mounted reel, wrapped around the reinforcement steel members, pulled taut with conventional side cutters or pliers, twisted, and cut. This conventional method of tying together reinforcement members is very labor intensive and adds considerable costs to concrete construction jobs. Further, the difficulty associated with the conventional method has often resulted in the reinforcement members being tied defectively, resulting in weak points within the structure.
Several clips have been developed for use in concrete construction to overcome the disadvantages of conventional manually applied ties. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,179 discloses manufactured spacer rings intended to ease the process of securing reinforcement steel members together during concrete construction. The manufactured spacer rings secure a grid of reinforcement steel members at the intersection points of the reinforcement steel rods. The manufactured spacer rings are formed with a split for spreading the rings to facilitate mounting over the reinforcement steel rods. After the ring is mounted, release of the spread ring results in the ring closing upon the rods due to the elasticity of the material.
While effective, the manufactured spacer rings disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,331,179 are expensive to manufacture. The spacer rings require a relatively large amount of spring steel material to perform the intended function of spacing the grid away from the bottom surface of the concrete form and yet provide the elasticity to reclose the ring upon the rods after the ring is spread to mount the ring over the rods. Moreover, such manufactured spacer rings are inefficient to use because they require a rather difficult and tedious process of spreading the rings during installation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,881,452 and 5,938,099 each disclose an apparatus for tying fasteners suitable for use in concrete construction. The ""452 patent discloses a hand held apparatus that is powered by pneumatic pressure supplied by a compressed air force. Similarly, the ""099 patent discloses a hand held machine that uses power from outside sources instead of manual power. Thus, each device has the inherent disadvantages of increased cost and limited mobility associated with externally powered devices.
Similar tying devices have been utilized in conjunction with hog rings. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,628,230, 5,035,040, and 5,123,273 each disclose a hand held, air-powered tool for applying hog rings for use in conventional applications. These prior art tools each utilize a complex mechanical linkage and jaw arrangement for deforming the hog rings, which are fed in one-at-a-time from a magazine. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,815, utilizes a rather complex and inefficient series of cams and jaws retained together by a neoprene O-ring. However, hog rings and similar fasteners have not previously been used in conjunction with the construction industry to secure reinforcement members. Conventional hog rings are too small for this purpose and have not heretofore been recognized as a possible solution to the high labor costs associated with concrete construction. Moreover, prior art devices used to apply hog rings and similar fasteners have disadvantages that make the devices expensive and inefficient to manufacture. The disadvantages of each of the aforementioned applicator tools are further exaggerated when used to apply the larger fastener clips associated with concrete construction.
There exists, therefore, a need for a hand held apparatus for tying fasteners for use in concrete construction that efficiently secures reinforced members while retaining the low costs associated with the use of manual power.
The present invention relates to a hand held and operated set of fastener clip pliers useful to secure together reinforcement steel members. The steel or metal members may be those used in concrete construction, upholstery and fencing. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the fastener clip pliers are comprised of a lower handle and an upper handle. The lower handle has at least two first prongs which define at least one intermediate slot between. The upper handle is pivotally connected to the lower handle such that the upper handle and lower handle can pivot to an open position and to a closed position. The upper handle has at least one second prong dimension to fit within an intermediate slot in the closed position. The tying or securing of the fastening clips using the fastener clip pliers involves having one of each of the at least two first prongs and at least one second prong engage a fastening clip placed around the steel members while the upper and lower handles are in the open position and then pivoting the upper and lower handles toward the closed position to effect closing of the fastening clip around the steel members.
In another preferred embodiment of the fastener clip pliers of the present invention, the fastener clip pliers are again comprised of a lower handle and an upper handle. The lower handle has a first tying end and a first manipulation end. The first tying end further has at least two first prongs and a first securing means. The first prongs define at least one intermediate slot therebetween and are inwardly curved to facilitate tying of the fastening clips to the steel members. The upper handle has a second tying end and a second manipulation end. The second tying end further has a second securing means and at least one second prong. The second securing means is pivotally connected to the first securing means of the lower handle such that the upper handle and lower handle can pivot around the axis of the first securing means and the axis of the second securing means to a closed position and to an open position. The second prong is dimensioned to fit within the an intermediate slot in the closed position and is inwardly curved to facilitate tying of the fastening clips to the steel members. The first manipulation end is preferably fitted with an upper grip or defines a finger receptacle for manipulation of the lower handle. The second manipulation end is preferably fitted with a lower grip or defines a thumb receptacle for manipulation of the upper handle. The securing of the fastening clips using the fastener clip pliers involves having one of each of the at least two first prongs and at least one second prong engage a fastening clip placed around the steel members while the upper and lower handles are in the open position and then pivoting the upper and lower handles toward the closed position to effect closing of the fastening clip around the steel members.
Yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a fastening clip for securing together reinforcement steel members, for example, those used in concrete construction, upholstery and fencing. The fastening clip is comprised of a first leg connected to a second leg by a body portion. The fastening clip further comprises a small extension protruding from the body portion or one of the legs for placing the fastening clip around the reinforcement steel members.
Still another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a fastening clip for securing together reinforcement steel members, for example, those used in concrete construction, upholstery and fencing. The fastening clip is comprised of a first leg, a second leg, a body portion, and a small extension. The first leg has a first end and is curved inwardly along its length to facilitate securing of the fastening clip over the reinforcement steel members, and a second leg connected by a body portion. The second leg has a second end and is curved inwardly along its length to facilitate securing of the fastening clip over the reinforcement steel members. The body portion connects the first leg to the second leg such that the first leg and second leg are bent away in opposite directions from a plane parallel with the body portion to prevent the first and second ends from abutting when the fastening clip is secured over the reinforcement steel members. The small extension protrudes from the body portion or one of the legs for placing the fastening clip around the reinforcement steel members.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention provides a method of using the fastener clip pliers to secure together at least two reinforcement steel members with a fastening clip. The fastening clip used in the method comprises a first leg, a second leg, a body portion connecting the first leg to the second leg, and a small extension protruding from the body portion or one of the legs. In the method, the small extension of the fastening clip is used to position the fastening clip around at least two reinforcement steel members to be secured. The fastening clip is held in position while placing the fastener clip pliers around the fastening clip such that the first leg of the fastening clip is in alignment with any of the first prongs and the second leg of the fastening clip is in alignment with at least one second prong. The lower handle and the upper handle are pivoted such that the first leg and the second leg of the fastening clip are engaged by one of the two first prongs and at least one second prong. The pivoting of the handles is continued until the at least one second prong is forced into the at least one intermediate slot defined by the first prongs and the fastening clip is secured around the reinforcement members in an overlapping fashion.
Other objects, and the advantages, of the present invention will be made clear to those skilled in the art by the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.